Art by Kev Walker
This is what a title sounds like when I try to be creative.
This is an expansion to my original 360 Cube. Check it out here if you'd like.
http://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/2fah7
Any change made on my original 360 cube will be reflected here as well if the cards overlap. The point of this list to add cards only for variance.
Why expand you ask? 360 is fun because it almost feels competitive and plays like chess. Now my hometown playgroup and I love how this more resembles vintage constructed, but I'm playing with a new playgroup where that can be a little intimidating. And, sometimes you just want to play Eureka and drink a beer!
Why 430? 540 is definitely too large for all the nutty cards in one pile. There's EASILY 100 cards you can cut when you start comparing power level at 540, and another 100 are probably even suspect. 450 Should be the natural go to then, except I added everything I wanted to and the list landed closer to 430 which is better honestly. I had the space to load up on all the fun new combos and crowd favorites so it should be fun.
There's a lot of new cards here that compliment the original 360 Cube. All I want to do it shed light on some of the new interactions and decks.
People have been clamoring about White card advantage since the beginning of Magic, but we've had Auriok Salvagers who is a card advantage and mana engine for the last 16 years. And by mana--well I mean infinite mana:
Auriok Salvagers + Lion's Eye Diamond = Infinite Mana
There are other ways this combo works--I'm not gonna say it, but if you ever come across it, **** you! And trust me when I say the rest of the draft pod will agree.
Time Vault COmbo
This is for sure a Vintage classic, and the fact that i've kept this combo in the corner for a while now feels like a cop out. I did have someone ask me, "So these are just a bunch of cards that you can't play anywhere else?" With that, I feel like Time Vault deserves to be there alongside P9 and company.
I'm a fan of the Time Vault combo in Vintage and Old School, but I'm not sure how I feel about it in draft. With the combo I had now that's replacing this--Painter/Grindstone--On paper it'll act the same as a 2 card combo except: Voltaic Servant > Painter, and Mirage Mirror gets more draftable, and Time Vault = Grindstone in terms of usefulness outside the combo. So, considering that, I think the draft environment is slightly better.
Maybe you can pull a Gerry Thompson and actually untap it like a real man without all the cheap tricks!
https://youtu.be/FX-EhT78cPc?list=PL04lbfeNAaS96Tj8wZ8LHy_VRHZbQ5Ugl&t=626
Last but not least, The art on Time Vault is incredible.
Oh yeah. Everything you've always dreamed of right here.
These will play as written on the card and as originally intended.
"Any Instant/Sorcery/Creature/Land card outside the game or in exile"
When these were originally printed, you could grab cards in the exile zone simply because it wasn't considered a zone in the game at the time.
And yeah, you're reading that right, any card you can sleeve up and put in your deck at that moment. And of course you can break singleton! This is Vintage cube right? Go for broke!
This does seem a little broken--especially Cunning Wish just because the opponent can't really have any pulse on what card they could have at instant speed and react to it--but I'd like to test it to find out. It at least seems fun, and I'll likely see cards get played that would otherwise not see the light of day in cube. I've also tested Contract From Below and really these cards can't be any worse than trying to make that card fair.
I really wanted to boost the lands deck with this expansion as it's a fan favorite.
Quick aside, I just want to mention here
Armageddon or Wildfire + Titania, Protector of Argoth is in tents. Have fun camping.
It's not the monster that is actual Vintage Dredge, but it's the most consistent aggro deck you'll put together given the cards...actually that sounds quite a lot like Vintage Dredge.
An archtype only for the bravest. The cards are here, yes, but I'm not sure how often this deck will come together or how good it is. But by all means force Robots! What's the worst that could happen...
Not Currently in Cube
Painter's Servant + Grindstone = no deck for opponent
I know what you're thinking, "Wow are you desperate for really bringing out the Vintage spirit." And... yes I am actually. But yes, this is a Vintage classic that I finally decided to add over the Sword of the Meek combo which was more color intensive.
As far as justifying the separate parts of the combo in cube, I can't say it's possible, but I'll try. They both play out with the thought in pack 3,"I guess this works with this deck."
Grindstone in a 40 card format isn't terrible at milling your opponent, and it's also not terrible in Dredge and Lab Man/Thassa's Oracle decks.
Painter's Servant is even less playable on it's own than Grindstone, it is a 1/3 that just bullies aggro, it also has some funky potential to boot.
It can mess with Black's exclusive targets if you name Black.
Help pitch effects like Force of Will.
Turns Natural Order and Green Sun's Zenith on for any creature.
It also always pumps your Runaway Steam-Kin.